Elemental
by Birandalyn
Summary: Thorne is trapped within the cemetery. Until Cameron brings her news that the coven will let her return home. They must defeat Faeden before Thorne dies after being poisoned by Faeden. I'm terrible at summaries so please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

A lone figure sat upon a fresh grave in an empty cemetery. It was a typical night for her. Dig yourself out of your grave and sit staring at the moon. She had been doing this for the past two years now. Her endowment had been the gift of life and then she had gone and gotten herself slaughtered by a slayer. Where had her common sense gone? It is second nature to all of her coven that you don't walk right onto their grounds even under the guise of a human. But no, she had been dumb enough to do exactly that. And now she was banished to live forever as the elemental of the Oak Haven graveyard. So much for the haven part. It was more like a concentration camp. Those of her kind were forced to hide from the slayers who would search for them by day as they slept. She was now one of their prisoners. She couldn't be in contact with any of the other vampires even if they hadn't banished her and she had to protect the Oak Haven graveyard. She was to capture and secure any vampires who passed the wrought iron gates of the cemetery. Graveyards were typical resting places for vampires. She had been given the life of an elemental as opposed to being dead. She didn't know which was worse. If you're an elemental you get to be half alive but you have to murder your own people and be a servant to those who killed you. If your dead you, well, your dead.

Thorne's elfin pointed ears picked up his footsteps long before he was in viewing distance. She was a rule breaker even though she wasn't truly herself anymore. They both risked a lot for him to come here. She risked the half a life she had and he risked becoming an elemental himself fated to forever betray those like him. He sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned back against his chest.

"Cameron, I don't know how much longer I can do this. I sit here wasting away what little life I have doing what? I wait and wait and you're the only vampire that ever comes and I am not going to hand you over to them," she whispered.

"Thorne, there's nothing you can do. Just think; you only have to wait until the rebellion can overthrow Faeden. It can't be too long," he replied.

"It will seem like an eternity though. I sit here and wait. Wait for the slow acting poison to kill me." A tear slid down her cheek. It was the blood tears that are characteristic of vampires and their elementals.

Cameron sighed. He knew what she spoke of. All elementals eventually die because they are given a toxin which takes years to kill. The lord's men do so to keep the elementals from learning to much and trying to overthrow them. He felt a teardrop fall onto his arm and held her closer.

"Cameron, I can here them coming. You're going to have to go back," she said, her voice barely audible.

He kissed her lightly on the cheek and replied, "I'll be back." And with that he was gone into the night. Soon after his footfalls faded into the night, two of the lord's men came up behind her with torches.

"What do you want," she questioned her tone cruel. She faced away from them and the light of their torches.

"Have there been any intruders tonight?" asked the taller one.

"What do you think?! There haven't been any intruders for two years. Why would tonight be any different?!" she pulled her knees up to her chest and folded her arms across them. Laying her head on her arms she sobbed, the tears leaving rivers of red on her cheeks. Her long silver hair fell to cover her face and arms.

The two men left without any further words. She listened for their footfalls to fade. Once she could no longer hear them, she stood up and pulled a ribbon from around her neck. The ribbon was tied to an old fashioned black key. She unlocked the vault and walked inside locking it behind her. Within this vault was her coffin. That night, she fell asleep on her side letting the tears fall.

Cameron paced his room thinking about Thorne. It was obvious she was growing weary of her post. He had seen many an elemental go mad from their ongoing vigil. He knew that wouldn't happen to Thorne. She was too strong for that. Or at least he hoped she was. He pulled back the heavy curtains on his window. Outside the night sky was growing lighter. He would soon have to seek his sarcophagus for the night.

The next night, Thorne could be found leaning against her vault. She missed being able to leave the cemetery. She wished it to be the way it used to be. She could walk the town's streets and look in the shops. She could spend time with others and not worry about being caught. She could have a normal life. But now, if she left, she would be hunted down again and her life would be ended there. It wasn't worth it. Cameron kept telling her that the rebellion would rise up against Faeden and she could leave the graveyard without worry that he would come after her. He would be too busy fighting the rebellion. But in her heart it told her a different story. It kept telling her _Give it up girl. You're going to die before that ever happens._

She pushed herself away from the brick wall of the vault and turned to look at the small inscription on the stone.

_**The Lord Faeden does not care to know your name,**_

_**Does not care to feel your hurt.**_

_**The bright and morning star does not choose to light your way**_

_**Because of what you've done and who you are,**_

_**You are a flower quickly fading,**_

_**Here today and gone tomorrow,**_

_**A wave tossed in the ocean,**_

_**A vapor in the wind,**_

_**You are an elemental, to survive solely to protect this cemetery from the evils of your kind.**_

She slapped her hand over the inscription and leaned against her arms. The blood tears fell from her eyes as she delved into her thoughts. She thought about the day that started all this. She was so wrapped up in her memories that she didn't hear the person coming up behind her.

_**Memories**_

_ A girl walked across the lawn of the command center of the Underworld Creature Slayers. It was early evening and almost dark outside. She had a black cloak covering her. She moved through the shadows close to the building. She was next to a window and she could hear what they were discussing. She could only hear small pieces of the conversation but from what she gathered they were debating on the best way to get rid of the Underworld Coven. She had heard that name somewhere. As she was striving to remember why that name seemed so familiar, the window opened silently. One of the slayers grabbed her cloak and tried to hold on to her. She let the cloth come off her shoulders as she ran from the window. She could hear their footfalls behind her as she ran back to the cave where her vampiric body was hidden. She had possessed the body of some girl in a village nearby. It was dark now so it would be safe for her to repossess her own body without risk of the suns burning rays. She darted between the trees hoping to throw them off. She was about a hundred yards from the cave when one of them grabbed her. He picked her up easily and carried her back to the command center throwing her in one of the cells that they had in the basement. She sat in the corner her knees pulled up to her chest waiting, but for what she didn't know. It wasn't long before they carried in the long black box that was her coffin. Inside was her true form. Her eyes were wide as she sat quietly in the corner wondering what they were going to do. Then a man came inside her cell and grabbed her arm yanking her to her feet. She glared at him but kept quiet. He stared her in the eye. She stared back somewhat confused. But then she felt something. It felt like ribbons were wrapping around her trying to squeeze her out of her stolen body. And then she felt her eternal soul being drawn out. She left the stolen body and was slammed back down into her own inside the coffin which was now open. She lay there dazed for a moment. When she remembered where she was, she jumped out of the coffin and ran out before any of the slayers could figure out what happened. She climbed out the nearest window she found and went back to the cave. In the back she kept her sword. It was an old war sword that her mother had given her before she had died. She pulled it from its scabbard and turned to meet whoever had come after her. It turned out to be a woman dressed in green. She carried one of the thin swords the slayers used. Her long auburn hair was pulled back from her face. Thorne backed up to give herself some space, but only succeeded in finding the back wall. She was at a huge disadvantage now. The slayer locked onto this and came running at her pinning her against the wall. The slayer smirked wickedly before being thrown to the ground. Thorne ran past the slayer but because she decided to throw the woman off her, the thin slayers blade had made a deep gash in her arm. Blood ran down her pale arm and dripped off her hand. She turned to face her attacker once again now that she was away from the back wall._

"_You know it's a sad story when a mother will teach her daughter to hate a perfect stranger," Thorne taunted._

"_Unless that perfect stranger is a demon like you," retorted the slayer._

"_Oh, go to Hell why don't you," she replied._

"_Why not you instead. You're the one that belongs there," she threw her sword catching Thorne's leg._

"_I was like you once. But then it got dull. Just like your sword," she threw the blade back at her and ran out of the cave. When she knew she was out of viewing distance she jumped into a tree and sat down on a limb her back to the tree trunk. She laid her sword across her lap and looked at the gashes in her leg and arm. She stilled herself when she heard them coming. She held her breath when they stood beneath her tree. She thought she would be ok until a drop of blood fell from her arm and landed on the blade of the slayer. The man behind her rounded and shot an arrow into the tree piercing Thorne's heart and pinning her to the tree. She fell back against the tree and her eyes closed in the deepest sleep there is. Death._

_**Memories**_

Stupid mistakes. That's what brought her down. Her own misjudgment of her abilities and those of the slayers. It was her fault she was stuck here in this cemetery for what little life she had. She pushed herself away from the wall and came face to face with Cameron.

"Guess what?" he asked smiling.

"Not possible. Are you sure? I mean really sure." Thorne questioned as they sat on her grave a couple minutes later.

"I'm positive. A.J. told us all this evening. The rebellion has enlisted the help of the Underworld coven and now is strong enough to overthrow Faeden. All we need is you Thorne," he pleaded.

"But they banished me and you know they won't let me anywhere near them. Plus, why do they need me?"

"They're letting you come back in exchange for the information you have. That's why they need you. You know more about them than we do."

"What information?"

"You know the ways of the slayers. All the rest of us were too scared to go anywhere near them. You are stronger than us. When we sat cowering from them you stood up and challenged them," he explained.

"And got myself killed. It wasn't a courageous action; it was a stupid one, Cameron."

"Come on, Thorne, I can't do this without you."

"Fine. What have I got to lose anyway? Just half a life."

Cameron stood and helped her to her feet. He gave her an encouraging smile and took her hand, leading her away from her grave and towards the coven house. She followed somewhat hesitantly. Any other day she would have been dead the moment someone saw her. Now they all turned their heads and then continued with their conversation. They were discussing ways to bring Faeden and his army down. They argued about whether to take Faeden down first and then face his army which would be disoriented. But then another brought up that with that idea, they would have Faeden and the entire army fighting against them all at once before they brought him down. One on the end proposed the idea that they take down the army and then Faeden. The room grew silent. It seemed so simple.

"And we're supposed to be super intelligent thinkers." Cameron whispered in Thorne's ear.

She slapped him lightly on the arm. She walked to the head of the table.

"We have to remember that Faeden is a shade. He can disappear and rematerialize somewhere else. He has dark magic which we lack. The best way to take him down is to have somebody possess him and force his soul into the netherworld. Then the person would repossess their own body leaving him dead. The hard part is getting someone that is able to do so and finding a way to Faeden while getting him to stay solid long enough to take over," she explained.

The started discussing this in low voices. Who would be strong enough to hold power over Faeden? Certainly none of them. There was only one of them that could do that. And that was…

"Cameron," one spoke up. They all turned to the black haired boy standing next to Thorne.

"Guys, I don't think even I could do that," he replied.

"You can try," said one small coppered haired dignitary.

"Fine then, what are we waiting for?" he asked.

The next night Thorne found Cameron in his room. She stood next to him and looked at the sword in his hand. It was an assassin blade, tainted black with red streaks running down it. He tilted it, making it catch the light. Its edges were jagged and serrated, making it look all the more menacing. She was confused as to why he had it.

"Cameron, what are you planning to do with that?"

"Well if our little experiment goes wrong I don't want to be caught swordless."

"Oh. Cameron, do you really think you can do this?"

"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

She had a worried look in her eyes as he walked past her and out of the room, leaving her with a puzzled and forlorn look. She sighed and looked at the floor before leaving his room and going down the hall to hers. She sat on her bed looking around. This had been her room before she had been caught and it was just as she had left it. Her walls were black and her carpet was a dark purple. Her bed had the same shade of purple covering it. Her black dresser still rested across from her bed and the tinted mirror hung above it. There were no pictures, nothing suggesting of family because she had none. She stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling thinking of how much she had missed this place.

She eventually dragged herself from her thoughts and got up. She went through the maze of hallways and walked outside into the intricate garden. All the flowers were in bloom and the white blossoms contrasted sharply against the dark sky. Shorter flowers covered the ground surrounding the pathway. Many colors meshed together to create a panoramic view. Her footsteps were silent, traveling toward the lake. The huge willow tree stood in its place, overlooking the lake. Its long vines trailed in the water and created a shelter for a small stone bench. She stretched out on the bench lying on her side. Her fingers made ripples in the water as they glided over the surface. She looked at her reflection in the rippling pool seeing her own pallid figure. Her long silver hair fell across her shoulders, splaying out on the bench. She got up to kneel beside the water, looking down. Her reflection was marred as a red teardrop fell into the water, diluting itself. She opened her eyes seeing the red streaks crossing her cheeks and the figure behind her. She looked closer unable to see who it was through her blurred vision and the moving water.

Cameron sat down behind her draping his arms over her shoulders. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder, taking in a ragged breath. Cameron pulled her close to him, comforting her with silence. Across the lake they could see two swans slowly gliding across the lake. Cameron stood, taking Thorne's hand and pulling her up with him. They walked hand in hand back along the winding path back to the coven house.

That night Thorne lay within her coffin, watching the darkness slowly fade into the morning. She had to admit it, she was scared. She didn't want to lose Cameron. She knew of Faeden's power and she wasn't positive that Cameron could match it. It was then that she made the decision to follow him to the castle, whether he allowed it or not. She figured it to be the latter of the two. As the sun rose and her mind shut down in the seemingly dead sleep of vampires, she vowed to somehow be of help to Cameron, emotionally or physically.

Dusk came quickly as the sun gave way to the overpowering force of darkness. Thorne changed and went to find Cameron. After looking in his room and outside by the pond, she sat on the front step trying to think of where he could be. In the nearby forest a snowy owl hooted and looked at her with bright yellow eyes. She stood and walked to the forest following a narrow path. Her footsteps were silent as she scanned to area around her. It was the same forest which she had been caught in two years before. It was easy for her to find her way back to the very tree which she had been killed in. Climbing into the old willows branches she found the one with the blood stain on it. The bark had peeled off that particular spot and the hole where the arrow had penetrated it remained.

She stretched out on the limb and looked up at the night sky. The stars seemed to shine brighter now that she was free. She felt the branch bend as Cameron climbed up next to her.

"They said I could find you here."

She sat up and looked down smiling. He leaned against the trunk of the tree and she scooted to lean against him. His arms encircled her and they both looked up at the moon.

"I wanted to come back."

"Why? It doesn't bother you to be this close to the very people who caused you so much misery?" he questioned.

"No, and it's not really their fault. It was mine. I made the decision to come that close and risk that everything."

He sighed and closed his eyes, content to just lie there for a moment. Thorne could feel Cameron's heartbeat against her back. It was so much faster than her own. The deadly toxin slowed hers until it was only about an eighth of the speed of his. She looked at the moon, her mind wandering.

"Thorne, you alright?" he asked. He could tell when she was giving up. She would get that dull look of a dying soul in her eyes and lie so very still. Her heart rate and breathing would slow until it was barely detectable.

"Hmm?" she hadn't even understood his question. She had only heard his voice and felt the vibrations against her back.

"C'mon Thorne. We need to get back. Tomorrow we make our attempt to overthrow Faeden." He took her hand and lowered her down to the ground and jumped down himself. He walked back to the coven house, pulling her along. She was still out of it and not aware that she was alive. Her soul often took to wandering and she would have to be looked after until she once again realized she was still alive. Thorne stopped and refused to move. He turned and looked at her.

"Thorne?"

"I'm fine, Cameron. I just, well… are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, kinda have to, don't I?"

"I'm just a little scared that it won't work," she whispered.

He pulled her close to him. Her head rested against his chest and he looked down at the top of her head. Her silver hair caught the moonlight and made it glow. His black bangs fell to cover his eyes.

"It'll be okay, Thorne. What can he do anyway?"

Thorne thought of everything that could happen. It only made her pull him closer to her. The tears began to fall again as she thought about the fact that he could die. He would be gone from her and she would have no reason to live anymore. As she stood there with her eyes closed, the blood tears continued to fall. Cameron picked her up and carried her back to the coven house. Before they retreated to their coffins for the night Cameron held her hand in his and looked at her.

"Don't worry, it will come out alright," he said, his voice hopeful.

Thorne nodded and slowly pulled her hand from his, turning to go into her room. Cameron soon did the same.

Please Review. I'm still new at this so please be kind. This is one of my favorite stories that I am working on. I will continue the story, so don't worry.


	2. The Battle

The next night Thorne awoke with a start. Today was the day of the attempt. The day that she would be freed forever; or lose Cameron. She climbed from her coffin and went looking for him. He was in his room holding the assassin blade again. She stood in the doorway for a moment and then turned and left to go to the meeting room. The rest of the coven was gathered there. Cameron came in soon after.

"Cameron, what do you plan to do?" asked one of the elders.

"What else? I'm going to go after Faeden while you guys combat the army. Is it so hard for you to understand?"

Thorne looked to him somewhat surprised. He seemed on edge and it only worried her more. She looked around the table. All of the leaders were of mixed ages. Some were elderly while others were younger, but she and Cameron were the youngest by far. Plus Cameron wouldn't be with them. Thorne would have to lead the others in the fight against the army because she knew the territory. She sighed heavily and left with Cameron to go to her room. Soon the others dispersed also. Digging in her trunk, Thorne dug out the old armor which she had worn years ago, when she belonged to the coven. All the members of the coven had similar armor for whatever skirmishes happened to come up. She put on the heavy black padding over her white T-shirt. Over the vest she pulled on a wrap-around shirt. It had long sleeves that were tight to her arms to keep from getting caught but were loose enough to not restrict movement. She wore loose pants that were the same dark red color as the shirt. She walked down the hall and met up with Cameron who was carrying his sword and a black cloak. His shirt was a similar style but was instead a dark blue.

They walked side by side down the long corridor leading to the western doors which opened into the forest where Thorne had died. All the other members were dressed in like clothing of varying dark colors. They all carried swords and were wearing cloaks. Their faces were hidden by the hoods and the swords glinted threateningly in the light of the moon. Only Thorne and Cameron had their hoods down. Cameron turned to Thorne and quietly talked to her.

"I'll go and find Faeden while you guys distract the army. Once Faeden is dead his army shall weaken since they are no more than incarnations of him. If you can hold them off long enough they'll die on their own if there are any left. And keep that damn silver hair of yours covered. It's as bright as the moon and makes you any easy target," he said pulling her hood up.

Thorne smiled at him knowing he was only saying that to liven her mood a little. She looked up at him as he pulled his own hood up over his black hair. He encircled her in his arms, drawing her close.

"Be safe," he said gently.

Thorne nodded. They parted ways with Cameron heading North towards Faeden's castle and Thorne leading the others west. They would go so far and then turn north to the army barracks. They traveled in silence, moving through the trees until they came to a clearing. In the distance they could see the crumbling stone buildings that were the barracks. They advanced toward the buildings keeping to the shadows. When they were within a hundred yards they stopped. Something wasn't right. The soldiers weren't out training or around the fire. Thorne signaled for the others to stay while she looked around in the surrounding trees. She leapt into the trees and scanned the area. There was nothing. She made her way back to the others only to find them missing. She scanned the area puzzled. She stood in the clearing alone. She heard a yell behind her and turned to see that the coven had been ambushed and were being held by the army. A soldier came running in her direction; sword drawn. She turned drawing her own sword and parrying his swing. The others wrestled away from their captors and turned to fight. The constant ring of clashing swords could be heard. Thorne's sword was soon covered in the blood of her enemies as the small coven fought the thousand strong army. The coven only held about 200 members. Thorne easily fought the dimwitted soldiers but the commanders were clever and swift. Many of the coven members were bleeding from at least one wound. Thorne had a gash on her left shoulder as a result of a commander's saber. A heavily built soldier locked blades with Thorne, knocking her to her back on the ground. His sword connected with hers along the narrow blade forcing her to hold the sword single handed, lest she cut her hand. With a simple turn of her blade, the soldiers saber slipped and hit the broadside if the sword. He lost his balance and Thorne was able to kick him off of her and swiftly stab him as he lay on the ground. She turned to her left to see an elder pinned to the ground by a commander and she rapidly shouldered him off of the aged man.

"Demon, why are you still alive?"

Thorne turned to the all too familiar voice. It was the slayer who had hunted her all those years ago.

"Because you do a terrible job at containing me," she retorted.

"The poison should have killed you by now," the slayer drew her sword, still stained with Thorne's blood.

"I'm stronger than that," Thorne easily deflected the slayer's sword when she rushed at her.

The two locked blades, ignorant of the fight going on around them. Thorne tripped the woman easily, sending her tumbling to the ground. Again, the blades clashed but the slayers thin blade could not hold up to Thorne's war sword. It snapped in half, sending shatters of the metal everywhere. Thorne drover her sword through the slayer's heart, killing her instantaneously. She straightened and looked around. The army was quickly diminishing. She was about to rejoin the others in fighting when she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She stumbled sideways. It felt like someone was crushing her heart. Her breathing became heavy and she fell to the ground beneath a blossoming peach tree. The tiny white blossoms covered the ground beneath her as she collapsed. The hood of her cloak fell back revealing the silver hair as her eyes closed.

Within the castle, Cameron had been searching for Faeden. He didn't expect it to be this hard the find him. He snuck about the castle, scanning each room. He came upon one where the door was open. He looked inside and saw Faeden at the mirror. His long black hair came halfway down his back. His black robes were highlighted with a dark red. Cameron slipped into the room silently and crept into a dark corner where he could hide himself until he reclaimed his body. He released his soul from his body and forced it down into Faeden's, knocking the overlord's soul out of the body. The castle was crumbling and therefore had many holes in the floor which led into the depths of the earth. Cameron could feel Faeden trying to reclaim the body so he stepped over the edge of the hole and released the body allowing Faeden's soul to reclaim the body. Cameron's soul took control of his own body again. He took a deep breath and sighed. Faeden's body and soul were now in the depths of Hell. He grabbed the antidote for Thorne off of the bedside table and he quickly turned and ran back through the corridors of the castle determined to find the others. He reached a balcony low enough that he could jump from it to the ground. He rushed to the battlefield. All of Faeden's soldiers where disintegrating and being blown away by the wind. He looked around confirming that most of the coven had survived. He reorganized the coven into groups to tend to the wounded. He never saw Thorne in the group. He began searching for her. She was too strong to have been killed by one of the soldiers. Wounded but she couldn't be dead. While the others collected the dead and injured he paced the area always looking. A sudden flash made him look over to a tree. It was a peach tree in bloom. The blossoms had fallen to create a white blanket upon the ground. It was a tiny area of beauty among the field of bloodshed and bodies. But it wasn't the white blossoms that caught his eye. It was the moonlight reflecting off of Thorne's silver hair.

Cameron ran over to the tree and took hold of Thorne's hand. It was colder than normal. She had no color and she had no pulse. Even though she was an elemental she would have still had some warmth and color and her heart would have been beating strong. She had been dead for a while. Cameron didn't understand. She had no wounds other than a small gash on her shoulder and it wasn't enough to kill her. He turned and whistled to one of the groups. The wounded were being transported in carts pulled by horses. He carefully placed her in the back of the cart and took the horses reins. He led the horse on foot all the way back to the coven house. He still had the antidote in his pocket. He carried her into her room and laid her out on her bed. The coven masters would take care of her tomorrow night for it was almost dawn. He returned to his room in a daze. He couldn't believe it; there was no way. He lay in his coffin that night, broken hearted.

He awoke the next day and went in search of the head coven master. He found him in his study, sitting in his chair.

"Where is she?" Cameron asked, his tone bland.

"Out beneath the willow tree. I figured it would be best since it was her favorite place."

Cameron nodded and left the room to follow the winding path out to the willow overlooking the pond. He found her there, lain out in a white coffin. A white sheet covered the table her coffin sat upon. She wore a white gown and light pink flowers were woven into her hair. The moon cast a faint light on her. The only thing Cameron could think of was how beautiful she looked and how bad he missed her. Her hands were wrapped around the hilt of her sword which lay in her chest. The sword had been cleaned of blood and now it lay along the length of her body. He swallowed hard and turned to lie on his back on the edge of the pond. As the night progressed, more and more of the coven came to look upon her. Never once did Cameron move until the coven master came to bring him in before sunrise. He finally came in after much pleading from the elderly man.

From then on, every night progressed like this. Cameron would lie on his back next to her coffin and stare blankly. He had been so hurt by Thorne's death that he never spoke again. Finally, one day, Cameron refused to come in. The coven master had to retreat from the sun but Cameron just stayed on his back and let the sun overtake him. Above Thorne's coffin, the coven placed a plaque on the tree trunk with Cameron and Thorne's names intertwined with vines and bordered by peach blossoms. The coven master still came to look upon Thorne and to remember the two whose hearts had been so closely intertwined.


End file.
